Choosing a new kitchen gives that delicious opportunity to select all that you love about one of the most important rooms in the home. New cabinets, appliances and tiles. When it comes to kitchen benchtop materials, the one that you finally settle on will play a large part on how functional and how gorgeous your new room is going to look.
Colour and texture will need to be carefully chosen to fit in with your own taste and other materials used in the kitchen and beyond. Also, consideration needs to go into the fact that some benchtop materials will offer more when it comes to durability. Others will require more maintenance to keep them clean and looking fresh.
Here is a selection of the best kitchen benchtop materials currently on the market:
Granite
This is one of the most popular benchtop choices currently, and it’s not surprising. This natural stone is available in a variety of shades and patterns. It’s not hard to find the exact match to give a unique look to your kitchen. It’s easy to clean, stays cool for pastry makers and bakers.The only downside is that it can be wearing on dishes, as it’s so hard, it can be pricey and it can be challenging to remove some stains.
Solid surface
Almost in the same price range as granite, a solid surface benchtop offers a chance for less maintenance. It’s easy to repair scratches or burns by sanding down. You won’t have the same stain challenge as the surfaces are nonporous. With a wide range of styles and colours available, you’ll be able to match your kitchen benchtop with ease. However, these surfaces are not so heat and damage resistant as stone, so take care.
Quartz
Requiring little maintenance and being hard enough to protect itself, you won’t find any scratches or scorches on these. Being nonporous, you won’t need sealant either. One of the best kitchen benchtop surfaces out there.
Stainless Steel
For lovers of the more modern look, stainless steel is a superb choice. You’ll have a surface that both heat and bacteria find hard to attack and something that is easy for you to take care of. The only downside being is that it’s easy to dent them and fingerprints show easily. Stainless steel is also a more costly option.
Butcher Block
Country style kitchens work well with this more traditional and natural style. Scratches can be taken care of through sanding or they can be left as part of the history of the benchtop. Although the cost is highly reasonable, you will find yourself needing to disinfect and oil more often in order to protect.
Our philosophy at Kitchen Craftsmen is to make a kitchen that you love. We are your one-stop shop for kitchen design no matter what your budget is.